


No Flippies for Old Men

by jimikat



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Miroctane Anniversary Event 2021
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-20 19:48:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30010047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jimikat/pseuds/jimikat
Summary: Mirage agrees to let Octane teach him how to skateboard.Octane invites a third wheel.
Relationships: Mirage | Elliott Witt/Octane | Octavio Silva
Comments: 6
Kudos: 9





	No Flippies for Old Men

**Author's Note:**

> This was made for the 2021 Miroctane Anniversary event!  
> Day 2: Gauntlet
> 
> And yes, I know Rampart and Mirage aren't _technically_ roommates, but they're cuter that way. ^_~

“Did you know she ran the Gauntlet, too?”

Elliott shifted his eyes from his own reflection in the bathroom mirror to that of Octavio, who was perched behind him on the edge of the tub. Octavio’s face was split into a wide grin, full of a child-like wonder that always found its way out whenever he was talking about one of his passions.

“Yeah? That’s pretty cool,” Elliott said, turning his attention back to the work of getting his curls in place.

“I wonder if we ever ran it at the same time?”

“You never noticed?” Elliott asked, twirling a strand between his fingers, encouraging the right shape.

“Mighta been a little preoccupied with how awesome I was to pay attention to anyone else,” Octavio said with a shrug, and Elliott wasn’t quite sure whether or not he was joking. While it was true that he himself put on a confident, self-obsessed face during the games, that was just Mirage. It was a far cry from reality. But when Tav did it, it often felt genuine. Elliott had to admit he was a little bit jealous of that...

“ _Dios mio_ , Ell, you really gotta put so much effort into all that? It’s just gonna get messed up when you put the helmet on.”

Octavio stood, sliding easily behind his partner, wrapping toned arms around Elliott’s middle and resting his chin on the man’s shoulder.

“It’s a date, Tav, I wanna look nice,” Elliott said, leaning his head gently against Octavio’s.

“You already look too hot, _amor_. If you keep it up I might not let you leave,” Octavio said, gravel scraping at the edges of his words, his hands starting to snake south. Elliott rolled his eyes with a smirk, twisting around in the younger’s arms to face him.

“Tav-”

“You’re right,” Octavio growled with a wolfish grin. “This _is_ better.”

He gripped Elliott’s rear, tugging him roughly against him. Elliott laughed breathily, a rosy warmth spreading over his cheeks. He pressed full lips against Octavio’s, far too briefly for the funner’s tastes.

“I’m almost done. Just go get the skateboards and helmets and stuff, okay? I’ll be right out.” Elliott gave him a final peck on the lips before prying himself out of his partner’s arms. Octavio huffed in acquiescence, gave Elliott’s rear another squeeze just for good measure, and slipped out of the bathroom.

Elliott turned back towards the mirror with a sigh that grew heavier and more laboured than he'd expected. He stared at his reflection; a beard crisply trimmed, amber skin clean and properly moisturized, just a bit of mascara to make his eyes pop… But those wrinkles under his eyes were getting crisper, and gradually spreading… _And_ he’d found a grey hair earlier this week, coiling in between the curls at his temple.

Elliott knew, strictly speaking, he was not _old_. But there were things about being with Octavio Silva that made him _feel_ old, that made him more aware of the wrinkles and the grey hair and the weird thing with dairy that was happening and the cacophony of pops as he crawled out of bed in the morning. He might not be old, but compared to the boundless energy of the daredevil Legend Octane… well… it was getting harder and harder to not draw a somewhat negative comparison. And sometimes he just wondered if he was… enough. For Octavio.

Maybe that’s why it had been so easy for the runner to convince him to do this today. To prove he could still be young and fun and balance on a small board on wheels at moderate speeds for entertainment.

“This’ll be fun!” Elliott told Mirror Elliott. “He’ll teach you how to skateboard and it’ll be cute. And it’ll make him so happy.”

Mirror Elliott was not as advanced as a decoy and had no proper response, just staring back at him with that same unconvinced expression. Elliott just heaved a sigh, screwed the lid onto his jar of hair product, and headed out to meet up with Octavio.

He found him at the foot of the stairs that led up to the apartment, several skateboards and helmets at his feet, chatting with unbridled enthusiasm with Ramya.

“Nothing like that rush, yeah? I mean the games are good and all, but-- Oh, hey, Elliott! Look who I found!” Octavio grinned up at Elliott as the older Legend trotted down the stairs.

“Well look who finally found his way out of the only loo in our apartment,” Ramya said with a wry sneer. “All that time and ya didn’t even check the mirror. Your patterns clash a bit, there, Witt.”

“It’s, like, a vintage kinda look,” Elliott said, looking down at his carefully curated outfit. Slightly baggy shirt, tight-fitting shorts, both in bright, bold, deliberately mis-matched patterns, with a somewhat stiff pair of pristine white canvas sneakers to finish the look. “For skateboarding.”

“You look like a fabric store that had a bad acid trip, mate,” Ramya chuckled, smacking his back roughly. “So this plonker convinced you to get your old ass up on a skateboard, ey?”

“Heh, yeah, he said we’d take it slow.”

Octavio slid over to Elliott and wrapped his arm around him. “It’s not usually how he likes it, but we’re making an exception.”

“Trust me, mate. I know. We should really talk about sound-proofing your bedroom,” Ramya quipped with an upturned brow.

“Okay, alright, we’re gonna head out now,” Elliott groaned, sliding his hand into Octavio’s and started to pull him away. He barely took a step away and he was met with resistance as the runner was still facing Ramya.

“Oh hey, _chica!_ You should come with us! There’s more to life than messing around in a workshop. Why not show us some of those sick moves from the Gauntlet, yeah?”

Ramya’s face lit up for just a second before her eyes settled on Elliott’s, which had gone wide. He was very pointedly staring down at Octavio, who was absolutely not noticing.

“Eh, don’t wanna crash your date, boys. Maybe some other time.”

“It’s no biggie! C’moooooon, we’re just going to the skate park, it’s not like we’ve got a table for two at some snobby restaurant. It’s totally fine! Right, Ell?”

He looked up at Elliott with that overwhelming smile, full of confidence and assurance that everything was totally fine and great, and for half a second Elliott even believed it, too.

“Yeah, totally fine.” He said the words without feeling them, and even as Octavio kissed him and told Ramya to go get her skateboard, he could feel the words eat away at him. He squeezed Octavio’s hand a little tighter, which made the younger Legend smirk before shaking his hand loose.

“Oh, here, I got one of my old decks for you to use. I painted the bottom when I was a kid. Pretty cool, right?” Octavio flipped the skateboard to show a spray-painted image of overlapping green tags with a white rabbit in the middle.

Elliott took the deck into his hands, examining his partner’s craftsmanship, running his thumb over the worn paint. He was irritated with himself that he hadn’t said anything about Ramya joining them. She was great, but he had kinda hoped today it would be just them. But he pushed that back and tugged on a smile that felt a little more like Mirage and a little less like Elliott. “Super cool, babe.”

The walk to the park did a lot to calm Elliott’s irritations. Octavio had slipped a hand into his, perfectly affectionate and focused on him, even as the conversation kept veering towards things Elliott couldn’t really partake in. But he liked hearing Octavio get excited, liked hearing him laugh, and was content just to be there with him, holding his hand.

The park was fairly empty, just a few teens keeping to themselves, and some younger families on the nearby picnic tables. Everyone got geared up, and Ramya quickly took off to get a feel for the movement of the park, while Octavio and Elliott started in on their lessons.

“Okay, so,” Octavio began, setting his board down in front of him. “You get up on the board, with your feet here and there. Like this.” Octavio hopped up onto his own board to show him. “Got it?”

“Uh, yeah. Okay.” Elliott placed a tentative foot on his own board, mimicking Octavio. The runner held out his hand with a soft smile.

“Don’t worry, _cariño._ If you fall, I’ll catch you.”

“Wow! My hero,” Elliott said with a little laugh, but took his hand regardless. He lifted his other foot onto the board, and with a swallowed, “Oh, shit!” the board jerked beneath him. Octavio’s grip on his hand tightened as he used his arm to help steady Elliott and give him some counterbalance.

“There ya go, you got it!” Octavio said, his voice bright and airy.

With a cackle, Rampart sped past, flipping the board under her as she did. “Ya look like a bunch of geriatrics!”  
  
Octavio flipped her off along with a huge toothy grin while calling her a few names that brought scowls from the nearby parents. She responded by doing some form of trick that Elliott couldn’t quite track, which seemed to go a bit awry, as Octavio yelled, “SLOPPY!”

He turned his attention back to Elliott. “Okay, okay, so you comfy? Got a feel for the balance? Cool. Now just try, like, pushing off with your back foot a little and make yourself roll forward. Here, like this.”

Octavio let go of Elliott’s hand and gave himself a little push, rolling gently away and coming to a stop. He nodded his head in his direction. Despite feeling a little patronized as to the baby steps Octavio was having him take, Elliott tested his balance a little, shifted a bit, then tried to mimic Octavio. A little shove off, a little wobble, but he very slowly started to creep towards his partner.

“Look at that! You’re movin’!”

“This is kinda fun!” Elliott beamed as he rolled to a very slow stop beside Octavio. The daredevil gave his cheek a peck. “Okay, now what?”

“I guess just that some more? You wanna feel comfortable on it before-- Oh damn, did you see that?” Octavio’s eyes slipped quickly from Elliott to just past him, where Ramya had just landed and peeled off in a wide circle. “Hey, just a sec, keep doing that, I’ll be right back!”

Before Elliott could say a word, Octavio pushed off and rode over to Ramya, joining her at the top of a ramp.

He heaved a sigh. Alright… guess this was kind of to be expected… And now he just looked like a brightly-dressed idiot standing alone on a skateboard that was slowly eeking its way back to where he’d come.

He could hear Octane’s bark of laughter from here, mixed in with the sound of rolling wheels and the clatter of boards kicked and flipped and who knows what else.

He gave a final little feeble push before just stepping off the board and finding a nice curb to sit on. He tried not to feel too sorry for himself. Watching Octavio out there, in his element, grinning widely and cackling and whooping with Ramya as each trick proceeded to get more and more outlandish. And Elliott was trying really hard to appreciate seeing him having so much fun.

He just… wished Tav was having that fun with _him_. And he couldn't quite keep himself from the places his mind started to wander. Were there things about him that held his partner back? They really didn’t do much that wasn’t hanging out together at one or the other’s place, or watching movies, maybe a nice dinner every now and then. Elliott was often busy with the bar, and the times he wasn't he usually just wanted to come home and relax... That can’t be what Octavio wanted. It must be so boring for him. _Elliott_ must be so boring for him…

Elliott was pulled from his steadily darkening thoughts by the skitter of an approaching skateboard. He looked up to find the solitary little deck headed towards him, its green-haired owner chasing after it. Elliott raised his foot and trapped the board just before it hit the curb, popping it up on its little lip for Octavio to grab.

“Nice catch, Ell!” he said. His smile faded as he noticed Elliott’s glum expression. “Uh… hey, you okay? You done practicing?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Elliott said, trying to tug a smile back onto his lips. It probably wasn’t convincing, but that was fine. Tav wasn’t always the best at seeing through that, anyway.

“You sure? Do you wanna try going a little faster? We can--”

“OI! I wear you out already, geezer?” Ramya called from the other side of the skate park. Octavio twisted around with a devious grin.

“JA! You wish! Just a sec, _chica!_ ” Octavio turned back to Elliott, nudging his foot with his own, his smile softening with his eyes. “You comin’, Ell?”

“Think I’m good, just need a break,” Elliott said, his smile getting more strained. He nodded towards Ramya. “It’s fine, she’s waiting.”

“Um, yeah, okay,” Octavio muttered, stepping back. “Lemme know when you wanna go again, yeah?”

Elliott gave him a weak thumbs up. Tav tried to match it with a smile, then hopped on his board and headed back to Ramya. He glanced back to see Elliott heading towards the public restroom, tugging off his helmet.

“What’s his deal?” Ramya asked, nudging Octavio’s arm as he came to a stop beside her. He let out a little huff.

“Like I’d know… For someone who loves to talk, he sure gets super quiet when he seems to actually have something to say,” Octavio muttered. They’d been together for a while, but he still wasn’t used to that. Still didn’t quite know how to handle it.

“You dolt,” Ramya sighed. “He just wants you to press him about it. Show you actually care and aren’t just, you know, doing lip service?”

Octavio stared at her, sucking on his lower lip in thought. “I just, uh, don’t wanna annoy him.”

Ramya shot him a skeptical look before nodding her head towards the restroom. Octavio sighed.

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. I’ll go see what’s wrong…”

Elliott was standing in front of the bathroom counter, helmet discarded nearby, twitching life back into his flattened hair when Octavio stepped into the restroom, tugging off his own helmet. Elliott glanced at his reflection in the mirror.

“Hey. There you are,” Octavio said, trying to affect a light tone. It came off a little too light. Dammit, he really was bad at this stuff…

“Said I’m fine,” Elliott said stiffly, turning to face his partner.

“Um… it’s just that usually when you say it like that, you aren’t…” Octavio said meekly, lingering near the door, unsure if he was wanted closer. “C’mon, Ell, I thought we were having fun.”

“Yeah, you were. You and Ramya.”

“Oh…”

Elliott leaned back against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest and dropping his gaze to his feet. He felt so dumb… letting all this get to him. But he took a breath and tried his best to continue.

“Look… Tav, I agreed to do this to hang out with you. To, you know… do something _you_ wanted to do for once. You said you’d teach me and then you just… invited gearhead along.”

“You like Ramya!” Octavio objected, stepping forward.

“I know I like Ramya!” Elliott replied shortly, looking up with a little scowl. “That’s not the point.”

“Then what’s the point? We’re together, right? We’re doing stuff together? What’s it matter if Ramya is there, too?”

“I just… wanted to spend time with you. And… you know. _Just_ you. And I guess I just needed to be chiller, and adjust my exp-ex-expectations about what this was, but… Well ever since we got here you’ve just been grinding tricks or… or flipping rails or--”

“Grinding tricks?” Octavio grinned with another step forward. Elliott’s expression didn’t soften to match, and Octavio’s smile quickly fell. He reached tentative fingers out, looping them against Elliott’s. “You shoulda said something, Ell…”

Elliott slipped his hands further into Octavio’s, pulling him closer. “I know, it just… I didn’t wanna be rude. Or… or not cool. And you looked so excited about it. And… look, Tav, I know maybe I’m not the most fun. L-like, we have different interests and I don’t wanna keep you from doing the things you like.”

“You _do_ remember we both play in the same televised bloodsport, right?” Octavio chuckled, tilting his head and squinting an eye.

“Yeah, yeah, but that’s work. I mean on my own time, Tav.”

Octavio hesitated, nibbling on his lip, juggling the words he wanted to say. Trying to take his time with them. “ _Amor_ , I don’t need to do the same stupid shit I do on my own with you. I just like _being_ with you.”

“Even when we just sit around and watch TV?”

“ _Especially_ when we just sit around and watch TV.”

Elliott laughed, soft and small, and Octavio couldn’t help but lean into him, pressing a soft kiss on his lips.

“I’m still just… getting used to all this, ya know?” Octavio said softly, touching Elliott's forehead with his own. “The good boyfriend thing. I might just need a little more help figuring it all out.”

Elliott smiled, running a thumb along Octavio’s cheek, prickly with stubble and rough with scars. “You’re a great boyfriend, Tav.”

“And you only say shit like that because you are, too.” Octavio placed a delicate hand on Elliott’s cheek, stroking him softly, leaning in to fit his lips between Elliott’s. Elliott wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close, holding him tightly. Their kiss faded, and Octavio placed a final kiss at the corner of Elliott’s lips before leaning back.

“Do you just wanna go back to your place? We can stream something.”

“I, uh, actually want you to teach me how to do one of those little flippies,” Elliott said.

Octavio barked a laugh, pulling out of his partner’s embrace. “Yeah, okay, let’s go teach you how to do a flippy. Um… is it okay that Ramya’s still here?”

“Yeah, yeah, of course. Maybe she can help?”

Elliott gathered his helmet, and they made their way back out, hand-in-hand.

“Everything good?” Ramya asked, hopping up from the curb where she’d been minding Elliott’s abandoned skateboard.

“All good, yeah. You wanna try to teach my man here how to do a kickflip?” Octavio asked, bumping up against Elliott. Ramya set a hand on her hip, cocking her head.

“Oh, Witt, you’re way too old for that. Sure you’re not gonna blow out your back?” She offered a toothy grin as she kicked Elliott’s board towards him.

“He better not. I’ve already got plans to do that to him later,” Octavio grinned, earning him a smack on the arm from a fiercely blushing Elliott.

“Great, good, I’ll stay with Ajay tonight, then. Thanks for the tip, mate,” Ramya said with a wink. “Alright, Elliott, let’s see your form on that board.”

He hopped back on it, but this time Octavio was holding his hand. And every time he fell, Tav was there to help him back up with a kiss and a smile and a threat to defend his man’s honour every time Ramya tried to make fun of him.

And that was all he needed. That even though he felt kinda boring sometimes, and even though he was never going to run the Gauntlet for fun or do death-defying stunts in his off-hours, what they had was not only enough, but it was perfect.

Even if he could never do a successful flippy.


End file.
